Abbott under fire for gay marriage comment

FEDERAL Labor has blasted Opposition Leader Tony Abbott for describing the push to legalise same-sex marriage as the "fashion of the moment".

Mr Abbott on Wednesday told John Laws on his 2SM radio program that he was not "someone who wants to see radical change based on the fashion on the moment", on the issue of gay marriage.

The opposition leader later clarified his comment, saying gay marriage was not the "only important issue" facing Australia.

"I certainly think it's a very significant issue," he told reporters in Caboolture, north of Brisbane.

He would be focused on "bread and butter issues" such as jobs and the economy, if he became prime minister.

Deputy Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the comments gave a glimpse into Mr Abbott's character.

"To define sexual orientation as fashion of the moment will be deeply offensive to many Australians, particularly families as well as individuals who happen to be gay or lesbian," he told ABC television.

The opposition leader was "out of touch" with modern Australian values, he said.

"People's sexual orientation is just the way that they are," Mr Albanese said.

"They're just other human beings who happen to be in love or in relationships with people of the same gender."